Sheffield Heliport

[elmfield]

I just wondered if, on this dedicated section, anyone knows of any other activity there... apart from the Police?

[leejackson1645]

As far as I know the heliport is only available to police and medevac flights. Interesting to hear NETS (Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service) took over the air ambulance buildings and started operations last year.

NETS UK to lift off from Yorkshire!


Nets UK has chosen Sheffield City Heliport as its main UK operating base.


Nets UK is a national charity that over the next few months will be developing the facilities, formerly home to Yorkshire Air Ambulance, as its operating and Clinical Training Centre.

The charity is about to tender for its first aircraft which will be specially equipped for children and new-born infants who need to fly to the UK’s centre of excellence in children’s medicine.

This will be the first such service in the UK and is modelled on the successful experience in Australia where NETS NSW is a vital part of medical care for children.

‘Although the UK is much smaller than NSW our roads are far more congested’ said Martin Eede of Nets UK. ‘Also think back to the snow, the floods and then imagine the problems medical staff have in caring for very sick children in the back of an ambulance. During the extreme weather our Chair took twelve hours to get a very sick child from Nottingham to Newcastle. A journey we could have flown in under an hour.’

The service is being developed by clinicians with funds being raised by public and corporate donations. The HSBC ‘Little Angels’ appeal has enabled the charity to take on the lease at Sheffield Heliport. Giving her support is Dame Judy Dench DBE who took time out from filming in Los Angeles to give her backing to the project and to agree to be the first Patron.

The Nets UK complex at Sheffield City Heliport will be opened on 19th May by Dr Andrew Berry, Medical Director of NETS NSW.

‘An interesting opportunity we hadn’t thought of was the potential of our Clinical Training Centre’ added Martin Eede ‘This will specialise in aero-medical training for paediatricians and, unsolicited, already we have had enquiries from clinicians in a number of countries across the world wishing to attend our courses. In turn this has an economic benefit for South Yorkshire as visiting clinicians will stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and so on…’

www.netsuk.org/article/NETS-UK-to-lift-off-from-Yorkshire!-42.htm

More at:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-13453062

www.netsuk.org/article/NETS-UK-child-flights-just-15-minutes-from-Nottingham%21-50.htm

[elmfield]

I actually attended an early publicity briefing by NETS but haven't seen any confirmation that they are up and running yet. The last I heard was that a spec had been drawn up for their helicopter requirements....I must check!

[elmfield]

No response at all from NETS so still unsure if they are going ahead. However, I see that an instruction for helicopter users has been issued by the BP...so there must be some other traffic.

[elmfield]

I have received word from NETS who are still fund raising to acquire a helicopter...so nothing out of the Heliport.

[elmfield]

I have just learned that the 'heliport', which back in 2003 was being touted as 'keeping Sheffield on the 'air-map' 'following redevelopment of the airport, is averaging just 1 or 2 flights a week. The Police helicopter made 1,283 flights last year.